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Censored Video Restored After Objections from Pro-Life Media and Supporters

Thursday, February 14, 2008 - By Michael Hichborn

Washington, D.C. (14 February 2008) – After numerous articles and pressure from Catholic and online media, Google-sponsored YouTube cited a “technical malfunction” as the reason American Life League’s pro-life video was censored by YouTube staff.

"Once word got out that YouTube had allowed the Planned Parenthood ads our report was based on to remain on their site, while at the same time censoring our report, a flurry of emails, blog posts, and complaints from the pro-life community pressured YouTube into reversing their decision," said Jim Sedlak, vice president of American Life League.

The original notification email sent to American Life League by YouTube read:

After being flagged by members of the YouTube community and reviewed by YouTube staff, the video below has been removed due to its inappropriate nature.

Three days later, American Life League received a second email that said:

This email is to inform you that a video was recently removed from your account due to a technical malfunction. The issue has since been remedied and we appologize (sic) for any inconvenience or distress this may have caused. The following video(s) have been reinstated and your account has not been penalized.

According to YouTube's user guide:

When a video gets flagged as inappropriate, we review the video to determine whether it violates our Terms of Use—flagged videos are not automatically taken down by the system. If we remove your video after reviewing it, you can assume that we removed it purposefully, and you should take our warning notification seriously.

Praising the YouTube decision, Sedlak commented, “We are pleased that YouTube has reversed their decision to remove our video. Our ALL News Report was neither objectionable nor inappropriate. While it is unfortunate that YouTube chose this tactic in the first place, it is encouraging to note that they corrected their poor decision in a timely fashion.”

Comments

When we encounter a mystery, we must examine the clues, look at all the evidence, and make a decision based on what those things tell us. We have a bizarre mystery at hand, and we must sift through all the clues to find the truth. What exactly is that truth?

Why is it that people feel they must argue with and protest against a Catholic leader who is standing firm in his faith, who is teaching others to do the same? Our faith was given to us by Christ. Our faith is precious. It’s time we treat it as such—and it’s time we treat those who instruct us with the respect they deserve.

The icy fingers of selfishness and callousness have crept into the collective body of society and left its members chilled to the bone. We see hearts that have been hardened, minds that focus only on material wants and desires, and human beings slaughtered at will. How will we survive?